a little humility, please

Yesterday, after our workday was done, Tommy and I decided we would go for a little explore trip to the North Shore.  Now, I will not proclaim to know much about Oahu, and I really have so, so much more to learn (feels quite intimidating, actually).  So we pack up our work stuff (working from home is hard to separate...) and off we go.

I was taken aback, first of all, by the sheer beauty of the north shore.  It's breathtaking, and that doesn't even begin to describe what happens to me when we drive up the H3 and along Kamehameha Highway.  Everything is green, lush, looks like a waterfall is about to start trailing down the side of bamboo forest.  It's really something, and while I tried to capture this on my fancycameraiphone, my efforts were totally futile.  I literally had to drink it all in while staring out the window.

The thing that struck me, when we arrived at "turtle beach", was the amount of people crowded around Oakley, this massive male sea turtle on the beach (napping, apparently).  It hit me, in the same way my disappointment over the "I can't capture this on my superfancyiphonecamera", that everyone was trying to do the same thing - catch the moment of seeing this massive phenomenon.  And no amount of shaka or "i'm not stepping over the line, I swear, but hurry capture this on camera!" could really catch the beauty of that turtle, sleeping completely unaware on one of the best turtle spotting places on Oahu. He was blissful, peaceful, and completely unaware of all those cameras snapping his face into family photo albums.

Over the last year, I've been trying (with the help of my ashleighhenne) to capture the essences of our lives rather than make sure I have everything all in a row for the best shot.  Why not live, we say, for living sake, rather than for doing sake? Who are we trying to please?

I did capture this, though.  So pretty.

Live well.  Love yourself first.  Be happy and experience the life we have.